Bill DeWeese

In August 2012, a Commonwealth Court judge ruled in favor of State Democrats who had sought to have DeWeese's name removed from the general election ballot; the ruling allowed Democrats to select a new candidate to take DeWeese's place on the ballot. DeWeese was paroled on March 30, 2014.

In April 2012, DeWeese was sentenced to 30 to 60 months in state prison, and subsequently resigned his house seat. He maintains that the prosecution was politically motivated, and part of an ongoing feud with Corbett, who became Governor in 2011.

On February 6, 2012, a jury found DeWeese guilty of five of the six felony counts with which he was charged, including three counts of theft, one count of conflict of interest and one count of conspiracy. He was acquitted on a single theft charge. After the verdict was delivered, DeWeese maintained the charges were politically motivated, and vowed to remain in the House until he was sentenced, at which time he said he would resign.

DeWeese was the only Democrat to file for election to his House seat, and a Commonwealth Court judge ruled that his name could remain on the April 2012 primary ballot. He was sentenced to 30 to 60 months in state prison on April 24, 2012, the same day in which he resigned his House seat. His subsequent requests to be released on bail pending appeal were denied by the State Supreme Court, and he was incarcerated at the Camp Hill State Prison.

In January 2012, DeWeese lambasted Corbett for spending tens of millions of state dollars pursuing political enemies but ignoring the child abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky; Corbett had received $201,783.64 in campaign contributions from past and present board members of Sandusky's charity, according to media reports.

In August 2011, DeWeese called for a theft-of-services investigation of Tom Corbett when the wife of a Corbett cabinet member was charged with DUI and called the Governor's mansion in the early morning hours to assist. A State Trooper was dispatched to pick her up from the police station and drive her home.

On December 15, 2009, DeWeese was indicted on one count of conflict of interest, four counts of theft and one count of criminal conspiracy.

He survived calls for his resignation from reform activists and his fellow state representatives. DeWeese did not step down and was re-elected in 2008 over Republican Greg Hopkins. With Keith McCall receiving the party nomination for Speaker after the 2008 elections, DeWeese ran for and was elected to be Majority Whip in the House. He resigned from his leadership role after he was indicted on charges unrelated to the issues at the center of the Bonusgate case.

Following November 2006 elections, a tight race in Chester County gave a slim 102-101 majority to the Democrats, DeWeese became Democratic speaker-designate. Days before the General Assembly convened on January 2, 2007, Rep. Thomas Caltagirone of Berks County announced he would not support DeWeese as speaker but would remain a Democrat. For the second time, DeWeese was denied the speakership by a member of his own party. DeWeese then nominated Philadelphia County Republican Rep. Dennis O'Brien for the office of Speaker. O'Brien defeated fellow Northeast Philadelphia Republican John Perzel in a 105–97 vote.

Despite the defeats of several legislative leaders in the wake of the pay scandal, DeWeese fought off a 2006 primary election challenge and was elected for an additional term in office on November 7, 2006.

In 2006, the Democratic party won a 102–101 majority in the House, giving DeWeese a second chance at the speaker's gavel. However, several Democratic representatives were rumored to be unhappy with DeWeese. Among them were Rep. Rosita Youngblood of Philadelphia, whom DeWeese accused of being "owned lock, stock and barrel" by Perzel Incorporated. Caltagirone publicly announced his intention to support Perzel, thereby denying DeWeese the Speakership. However, Democrats foiled Perzel's move by nominating a Republican, Dennis O'Brien for Speaker. O'Brien went on to win the election.

DeWeese supported a legislative and judicial pay raise in 2005. After criticism from the media and activist groups, DeWeese joined his colleagues in a near unanimous repeal of the pay raise.

A key source of dispute between Corbett and DeWeese is the exploration for natural gas in Marcellus Shale, a booming industry in DeWeese's district. Between 2005 and 2010, more than 1,900 wells had been drilled in Pennsylvania. Greene County, home of DeWeese, has attracted companies as large as Haliburton. Corbett, the former assistant General Counsel of Waste Management, opposes an extraction tax on Marcellus Shale drilling while DeWeese favors it. Corbett also sought to limit regulatory oversight of the drilling industry.

DeWeese is well known for his idiosyncratic style of speaking and writing, which incorporates an extensive vocabulary, anachronistic usages, and attenuated metaphors. For instance, a 2002 letter by DeWeese to lobbyist Stephen Wojdak regarding Wojdak's hiring of DeWeese's ex-wife, Holly Kinser, began with the following paragraph:

In 2002, the political website PoliticsPA named him to the list of "Smartest Legislators. ... His command of the English language leaves most people fumbling for a dictionary, if they can even spell the word. The breadth and depth of his knowledge of history also distinguishes this Democratic Floor Leader. Extremely well rounded and well read, DeWeese is capable of holding an intelligent conversation on just about any topic." In a 2002 PoliticsPA feature story designating politicians with yearbook superlatives, he was named the "Best Dressed."

He went on to serve as Minority Leader from 1994 until 2006. With the election of fellow Democrat Ed Rendell as Governor of Pennsylvania in 2003, DeWeese was able to wield more influence than otherwise would have been expected from a Minority legislator.

DeWeese's ascent through the echelons of House Democratic leadership began when he was elected by his colleagues as Majority Whip in 1988. Upon the death of Speaker of the House James Manderino, DeWeese was elected House Majority Leader in January 1990, serving in that position until he was elected Speaker of the House for the 1993–94 term. In 1994, he lost the Speakership when Democrat Rep. Tom Stish switched parties, giving the GOP the majority.

After leaving the Marines, DeWeese was elected to the Pennsylvania House in a 1976 special election and represented the 50th district (consisting of all of Greene and parts of Fayette and Washington Counties) for the ensuing thirty-six years.

H. William DeWeese (born April 18, 1950) is an American politician who is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, DeWeese served as the 135th Speaker of the Pennsylvania House from 1993-94. After five years of investigation by Republican State Attorney General Tom Corbett, he was indicted in December 2009 on six charges of conflict of interest, theft and criminal conspiracy on accusations that two members of his staff used state resources to campaign for political office. The trial began January 23, 2010. He was re-elected in 2010 despite the charges, but was convicted of five of the six felony charges on February 6, 2012.

DeWeese was born April 18, 1950, in Pittsburgh and raised in rural Greene County. After earning a B.A., History at Wake Forest University, he joined the United States Marine Corps 1972–1975.